A texture map is a pixel-mapped image that can be stored in memory and applied to polygons during image processing. Each point in the map represents an average color or intensity for a specific area of an image. When applying a texture map to objects in 3-D space, typically such an object is created with a fixed geometry. A texture map is then applied in a manner to allow the texture to fit into that fixed geometry.
Typically, the texture map contains background texture. However, in some situations, the texture map may also contain meaningful information. In these situations, it may be desirable to modify the geometry of the object to match the information contained in the texture map, rather than changing the attributes of the information to match the geometry. For example, when the texture map contains meaningful information, such as a word, and the word needs to appear within an object, it may be desirable to expand the geometry of the object. This allows the word to appear in full size within the object, as compared to shrinking the word and thus affecting the information.
What is clearly needed is a novel method that allows geometries or geometric pipeline parameters (translucency, lighting) to be modified to accommodate to the attributes of information present in one or more textures.